Category Archives: Festivals

Review: Dave Bibby: Baby Dinosaur, Ed Fringe, by Hannah Goslin

 out of 5 stars (5 / 5)

I was first introduced to Bibby’s comedy when he invited me to his Ed Fringe show back in 2019. Since, I have been an avid follower and fan of his comedy.

So when his invite for his new show came into my inbox, I was absolutely delighted, and even more so, when I saw what it was about… DINOSAURS. I mean, comedy… dinosaurs… what isn’t there to like?

Bibby’s show is about creating a show in between having two children. At the same time, it’s a time machine for us oldies who loved the original Jurassic Park and the 90’s. These seem like contrasting themes, but it works. The nostalgia, meeting the idea of ageing and new life. It all makes sense.

The main concept of the production is hugely involving the audience to create a version of the original film but in a 2023 setting. The millionaire is replaced by Elon Musk, our audience members jump in and out as on stage characters and… in themselves are hilarious and so engaged. We all have a chance to be involved, with queues to shout out and make noises but also with a script passed around to read when we are prompted. Bibby is hot on the responses and ad lib, and enjoys the improvisation and surprises that come from us as much as they come from him. There are some Jurassic Park lovers who clearly love the comedic approach as much as Bibby does, with his love and passion coming through with knowledge and performance.

We begin to think that this is a love letter to the end of his career. His love for his young family and being away from them is expressed, alongside gorgeous images of them and our heart sinks to think this is it, after an hour of pure joy. But, while partially scripted, I like to think our involvement and enthusiasm with said script helped to solidify how much Bibby should continue making these shows. Yes, the outcome is exactly this and the planned conclusion, but I hope our responses help to make it a reality.

Jurassic Park/Dinosaur/children-person or not, Baby Dinosaur is an absolute triumph of a comedy show, from how smooth it ran, to the right involvement of the audience, to constantly belly laughs. It’s everything you want from a comedy show and more.

Review: The Real William Shakespeare… As Told by Christopher Marlowe, Matchmaker Theatre Productions, Ed Fringe, By Hannah Goslin

 out of 5 stars (3 / 5)

As long as there are people on this Earth, we will forever be asking questions about William Shakespeare. So many schools of thought as to who he (she? they?) was, their sexuality, the in depth reading between the lines of their work.

Matchmaker Theatre Productions take the unwritten, from the point of view of Shakespeare supposed rival, Christopher Marlowe and unmasked another version of Shakespeare’s history.

A small company, we have the main performer who continues as Marlowe throughout, a ghostly figure who acts as the stage hand meet musical accompaniment and a character swapper who plays a student writing about Shakespeare vs Marlowe but also delves into other minor characters throughout. Of course, we also meet Shakespeare but to tell you more about them would ruin this really interesting approach to the story.

What’s great is that the company doesn’t shy away from LGBTQIA+ suggestions but also doesn’t make it such a big thing. We see Marlowe’s relationships but it’s just like any other and isn’t highlighted particularly as some revolutionary idea – which is exactly how it should be unless it is the main theme.

The changes of scene are shown between clicks of fingers and changes of lights, switching from situation to situation but also back to talk and review the news that has come to light with the student. This is a really interesting take and works very smoothly. Our ghostly figure, while in the background, is constantly “on” with facial expressions and interest in the scene – it really makes each scene well rounded.

For me, however, it felt like there was more to go with what they could achieve. This felt slightly in its infant stage and, while funny, professional and smooth, there is certainly some room for growth.

The Real Shakespeare… is an interesting approach to the age old questions about the playwright and their rival. However, there is great potential and it would be great to see where this company take it.

Review: Oat Milk & Honey, Mo-Ko Piano & Circus, Ed Fringe, By Hannah Goslin

 out of 5 stars (3 / 5)

In a small, circular lecture theatre, we are brought an avant-garde expression of anxiety through the forms of dance, circus, music and .. oh a Llama.

From an Australian duo, Oat Milk & Honey quite effectively use their platform to share how anxiety feels, not only for the person experiencing it but also the impact on others.

There is no narration or vocals bar the occasional breath of the moving performer and pre-recorded voice overs but the silence is filled with beautiful, original compositions which occasionally go off-piste to express the interruption anxiety can create.

It feels relatively slow paced and it would have been interesting if there had been a change of pace. There was a little of this, interrupting the seriousness with an element of comedy when a performer comes in dressed as a Llama, reflecting the fact of serotonin created from watching Llama’s run which we hear at the beginning in a voice over.

There’s no doubt that both of these performers have great talent in their own right; a talented composer and musician and a very flexible and powerful dancer, circus performer. And each part of this performance is really interesting to watch but continues at the same pace which loses attention.

Oat Milk & Honey is transcendental and soothing, with a poke of humour but needed some different speed levels to keep the intrigue.

Review: Hot Queer Magic, Pink Lotus Cabaret, Ed Fringe, by Hannah Goslin

 out of 5 stars (3 / 5)

The best cabaret shows are never the huge, fancy venue-d spaces, where you are lost in the crowd and viewing from afar. The best are in small, intimate spaces and this is what Pink Lotus Cabaret brought us with Hot Queer Magic.

Just like any cabaret show, the production showcases different acts, all introduced with a little comedy and little storytelling in between. And this is of no exception. This means that there is no tie to a theme and it feels right to keep us on our toes this way.

Hot Queer Cabaret features a fairy burlesque act, a rubber ducked obsessed dominatrix act, Drag Kings dancing while making commentary on the patriarchy, a trans King and his maracas and a combination of Indian Dance and Kylie, to name just a few. This eclectic mix is always a surprise and keeps the comedy and appreciation fresh each time.

While enjoyable and especially in such an intimate setting, the whole running felt a little lengthy and in need of some polishing. It felt as if there was a nervousness and it lead to the feeling that much, from the comparing to the acts, was a little created on the spot. Of course, things never go to plan, especially in cabaret but it all needed to be a little punchier. From my theatre training and my own cabaret training, it was instilled in me that making it punchy, prompt and polished, creates a much more finished product and keeps the audiences engaged and wanting more. Some of the acts felt quite long and sadly lost my attention at times. This could be entirely that with this instilled in me, that is my own subconscious reaction but at times, it felt that the whole production could be a little slicker.

Twatoo, the Drag King duo, were probably my favourite. Playing on toxic masculinity, they took Shania Twain and made the characters very camp. Interjected with voices from feminist icons in the shape of characters to real people, noting their achievements, followed by “that don’t impress me much” was endless comedy and poked fun at this type of chauvanism and our society.

It was also great to see Pink Lotus and her combination of traditional Indian dance with burlesque. This combination was something I had never seen and, with a little more honing, is a really unique and beautiful concept.

Hot Queer Magic was fun, full of diverse acts and people and was a fun evening. With practice and time, I’m sure this collective will create a very confident and smooth running show.

Review: How to Flirt: The TED XXX Talk, Haus of Dons, Ed Fringe, by Hannah Goslin

 out of 5 stars (5 / 5)

The title might be a little misleading. If you are reading this and you think: I’m taken, why would I need to learn how to flirt? Well, my friend, this show is for everyone in every status, of every gender, every age – everyone.

How to Flirt is a satirical seminar from the Drag King, Steve Porters. We are taken through a casual lecture, using the acrostic of “BIRDS” to deliver the best way to get your next partner. Full of dancing, puns, comedy, music and projection, this all rounder show is comical but full of importance.

Steve is what can be described, by today’s youth, as a wannabe “Roadman” or, from back in my day, a “Chav”. Featuring all the physical characteristics of Drag Kings, the make up is impeccable, giving the illusion of masculine features, a body suit to give the illusion of a male torso and general mannerisms and movement to suggest something stereotypical male. The funny thing is, Steve is meant to be a satirical copy of one of those men who think chat up lines work, but yet he still has charisma and a way of flirting with the ladies of the audience. I am only sad that he didn’t deem me attractive enough for a flirt – big thumbs down!

How to Flirt is full of audience participation, but a late night at Fringe is certainly not lacking in this. We are asked to engage, repeat chants, encouraged to talk to one another and it becomes riotous and raucous in just the right amount. We may not always feel the power of Steve’s flirt directly on us, but in a crowd of around 100, we all feel individual and like one of his mates.

The whole production is a painful belly laugh after belly laugh. It plays on the bad dates, on the stories told from dating apps and meeting strange people and plays on the awkwardness between Steve and the audience. Steve is full of confidence and is professional, slick and perfect in every single way.

The production is so well constructed, including any ad libs or improv that are so smooth that you barely notice them. It was a show that I never wanted to leave but sadly, all good things do.

And don’t think that this was just comedy – oh no. There were really important points touched upon. Steve takes these types of men and highlights situations that are creepy, insulting, issues of sexual assault and ensures that, through the laughter, this is clearly a political and feminist show touching on our societal issues. Steve highlights consent a lot, and this is important and meeting modern ideals. It makes it clear that this is non-negotiable in our world.

How to Flirt: The TED XXX Talk is comedy gold, but amongst this, Steve Porters has made strong, concrete feminist comments on today’s chauvinist societal issues.

Review: Bill’s 44th, Dorothy James & Andy Manjuck, Underbelly, Ed Fringe, by Hannah Goslin

 out of 5 stars (5 / 5)

Sometimes I’m a real easy sell. Give me some impressive puppetry, and I’m sold. But what I got from Bill’s 44th, was something else.

Bill’s 44th is a comical play about age. Bill is throwing himself a party and eagerly awaiting his guests. But when no one shows, he goes through a number of different emotions from sadness, to making the best of things, to drunk and high and reflection.

Bill is a puppet. He is orchestrated by two puppeteers, moving his torso, arms and head but legs and hands are from the puppeteers. Their faces are visible behind Bill but you forget almost instantly that they are there. Their movements, and movements from other puppeteers throughout as so smooth and precise that you very much forget actual humans are on stage.

There is sound and music but no talking; all the action and emotion is conveyed easily through Bill and we understand instantly. To get these across, movement and gestures are exaggerated but it didn’t feel false and very much as if we were breaking down the fourth wall.

Bill reminded me very much of a puppet version of Mr Bean; we can tell exactly what he is thinking, feeling and doing just by movements and gesture alone. Facial expressions, you’d think, would be vacant from a puppet with no eyes or general facial movement, but, somehow, he manages them. Call it talent of the puppeteers/creators, call it our imagination, call it both.

Bill’s journey is nothing short of a emotional roller coaster. We are excited, then we are sad; he makes the most of the situation and we laugh again, to suddenly fearing the dark emotions on stage and sadness at Bill’s reflection, to leaving in elation. We see a scene where we are moved through Bill’s life, birthday to birthday through a miniature version of him, where you begin to see his loneliness with age – something we may all experience. For a puppet, I felt extraordinary sadness for him and pure happiness when he in the end accepts himself and becomes his own friend.

Bill goes through a drunken, high moment, with walls becoming puppetry and moving in a sliding motion; balloons become people that destroy his house and make-out in the back; his crudite carrot becomes life-size. It is such an adventure, heightening all your feelings and making you fully belly laugh until you ache.

Bill’s 44th is so stupid – in a brilliant, hilarious way. It is stupid in the clever, comedic way – the way The Mighty Boosh, Mr Bean, Blackadder are all just silly, silly comedy. But it is also dark in places. It is also poignant and emotional. It is an all rounder. My favourite comment from the man next to me was “What the f did I just watch?” through tears and laughter – I missed a chance to tell him, “You, Sir, just watched pure perfection and genius”.

Review: Almost Adult, Charlotte Anne-Tilley, Ed Fringe, by Hannah Goslin

 out of 5 stars (4 / 5)

Everyone goes through that moment in life, whether triggered by something specific and significant, leaving for University or getting your first job as an adult; flying the nest can be hard but also very exciting.

Almost Adult takes this, based on the real life experiences of the writer, and runs with the idea. Our main and only performer decides its time to become an adult and moves from the rural north to the big smoke of London. Every approach she takes is positive; new job in an immersive bar, box room with a particularly anal housemate and the search for a boyfriend like Timothee Chalamet. Everything is positive, until it is not.

Almost Adult faces the two sides of growing up; the excitement of new things and independence but also the reality of life and how hard it can be. Our character wants to not hold hands with her family and distances herself, until things turn south and she realises that being an adult doesn’t mean not asking for help. At her job, a once golden paved bar floor with dinosaur dressed workers becomes a seedy, patriarchal power trip, where sexual assault is rife from her boss. Her flat mate is maybe over clean and stressed about this but our character doesn’t have the time for the boring parts of adulthood until she accepts her own flaws and laziness.

She’s enjoyable, she dances and has a laugh with us; her impressions of different characters are clear she brings us further into the story by interaction. All the issues culminate and we see a bubbly, positive person unmasked from seeing the reality of modern day life. From a cushy, middle class family, protected from the storm, when her leg is touched by her manager, her colleague is further sexually assaulted and the female CEO won’t help, she soon realises that the feminist movement hasn’t solved the world’s problems and that there are still there, if not more.

The production felt very poignant about the realities of adulthood and life. As someone who moved alone for university and then to live in London 12 years ago, I still remember that feeling of sheer excitement to break free and be my own person but the trepidation and fear of this. I forever tried to ensure my outlook was positive, but the home sickness, some realities (though I maybe wasn’t as naive as this character in some respects) and hardness of adulthood slowly crept up on me.

With many stories from Sarah Everard, to the Me Too movement, women are sexually assaulted almost daily. It isn’t uncommon to think that with how open feminism is in the world, that things should be different. But they aren’t and it’s interesting to see the character’s turmoil with her gut feelings when her boss touches her leg compared to the more explicit assault of her colleague. And she makes excuses, as we all do, thinking that her feelings are not justified. When she is asked if she asked him to stop, this seems like the crux of the situation and the expectation is high in her to have fixed the issue. This production hits home to many on lots of different levels and that’s what makes it such a great piece.

Almost Adult is funny, it is quirky and it is endearing. But this doesn’t take away from the important issues that are never solved for women and how our eagerness as children to become an adult come from its realities which are shrouded.

Review: The Stand Up Horror Show, Hot Storm Productions, Ed Fringe, by Hannah Goslin

 out of 5 stars (2 / 5)

I’m sure with such a title, many would wonder what a stand up horror show would entail. The name itself was intriguing and was happy to entertain the intrigue.

The Stand Up Horror Show is a one man show that I would say was loosely based on horror but more played on the satirical of a “bad” comedian. Humour was created by foiled tricks and obvious puns, which, when you got into the swing of it, was certainly comedic.

The horror aspect was somewhat lacking. Our comedian wore a somewhat scary mask, brought out magic tricks based on the occult and witchery and modernised and created humour with well known Grimm fairy tales. Granted, without the term “horror”, I wouldn’t know what genre could replace this but the label of horror isn’t quite what was brought on stage.

However, we had lots of fun. The performer was very good at ad libbing, improv and picking up on curve balls from audience members. He allowed us to join in and be a part of the comedy without telling us what was funny and when unplanned changes were created from our interaction, we certainly felt part of something.

The Stand Up Horror Show is getting there. It feels like it has the basis to become something more honed and slick, but could also do with more direction to live up to its name.

Review: Spin, Kate Sumpter, Ed Fringe, by Hannah Goslin

 out of 5 stars (4 / 5)

If i’m entirely honest, I couldn’t spend time on a spin bike for more than 10 minutes, let alone 1 whole hour and while acting as well.

This is what makes Spin so unique. This one hour production, based on eating disorders, the social pressures of bodies, particularly female identifying bodies and the influence we can have on each other, comes from the point of view of one person who has (in her opinion at the start) changed her life around to become a spin class instructor. During this time, 80-90% of the production is this one performer constantly on a spin bike, lacking sweat and not missing a single breath. This is commitment and talent.

This monologue features information on her past, her own eating and fitness journey, the impressions enforced on us from the media, on her and her sister that anything that isn’t thin is wrong and disgusting and we see her almost convincing herself that what she is saying, is what she believes. But we know it isn’t, and so does she. We witness her go through a turmoil of changing opinions, guilt and questioning of realism.

As mentioned previously, she manages to perform this on a spin bike and if not, she is up on stage, with every bit of power and action in her. If she has been drinking coffee, I for sure need to know what brand for that energy level. But of course, this is more than a caffeine hit; this is a well constructed level of fitness and performance talent to allow her to do both simultaneously.

The narrative, written by Kate Sumpter (also our performer) is very raw and honest. It touches on our own insecurities, no matter our body types, how judgemental we are without necessarily knowing that we are and how utterly influenced we are. I found myself questioning, as I always feel I do as a curvy woman, when performances, on stage or screen, talk about weight and eating issues and the performer(s) are a thin, beautiful person that I would love to be. And I caught myself, during the narrative she expresses of everyone judging bodies, doing the exact same, wondering what this person had to complain about. I checked myself and knew that what Sumpter had written, was emanating subconsciously within me. It isn’t a thought I believe, representing my own insecurities and realised very quickly that this production is hugely important in recognising that unconscious bias that we all have.

Spin is a tour de force of performance ability, physically and mentally and is extremely well written for anyone, female identifying or other, who struggles on the whole spectrum of body issues and influences from the media. It puts everything in perspective and makes you question your own subconscious.

Review, YOU ARE GOING TO DIE, Adam Scott-Rowley, Vault Festival, By Hannah Goslin

 out of 5 stars (5 / 5)

Theatre is very much a powerful tool to highlight topics of the time, to create political commentary and express the injustices and emotions of people. With the last 3 years adding to the feeling of the world getting seemingly worse, there’s something to be said of a production that makes these comments but encourages us to see the humility of it all.

Adam Scott-Rowley’s, YOU ARE GOING TO DIE, does just this. Featuring Scott-Rowley completely in the nude, he vulnerably cycles through different ages, different people, thoughts and attitudes to give a holistic view of our world, of growing older and of experiencing oneself in a climate slowly getting worse. He creates highs and lows of comedy vs reflection, of matter of fact hilarity vs deep emotion which is poignant and effective; a emotional and thought provoking rollercoaster.

The action is already started as we take our seats; Scott-Rowley sat on a lit up toilet, with music and lights that make you feel as if you are entering a Berlin rave club, there’s this feeling of voyeurism on him while the audience chatter and wait for the start. There is something amazingly powerful of watching as the audience slowly come to the realisation that a production has started without this being clear.

Scott-Rowley is able to contort his body and facial structure to create different characters and scenarios – you rarely find that you truly know who he is or what his natural form is as he so amazingly transforms. He creates characters we know or see in modern world, or frighteningly creates people we know we have been or will become. There’s a tongue and cheek to it at times, but it is subtly and easily transformed into serious commentary. Abstract, with little dialogue and heavily leaning of physical theatre, some makes you laugh and intends comedic effect, some is beautiful and a work of art in itself and some is grotesque and full of truth. There’s a fluidity and seemingly subtle transition to the different “scenes” (if you could call it that) and a return to different characters, adding to a sense of monotonous repetition of life but also hitting home humorous but entirely serious points of who we are in a world going up in smoke.

YOU ARE GOING TO DIE is a physical theatre masterpiece. It is entirely absorbing, entertaining, humorous but hitting really poignant spots in every audience member.